This chapter is from the book

In this chapter, you learn how to go beyond the basic functionality of your iPad, and add more apps using the App Store.

Purchasing an App

Arranging Apps on Your iPad

Creating App Folders

Viewing Currently Running Apps

Quitting Apps

Finding Good Apps

Using iPhone/iPod touch Apps

Getting Help with Apps

Monitoring and Managing Your Apps

Apps that come with your iPad and Apple’s office apps, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are just the tip of the iceberg. The App Store contains hundreds of thousands of apps from third-party developers, with more added each day.

You use the App Store app to shop for and purchase new apps—although many are free. You can also rearrange the app icons on your Home screen pages to organize them.

Purchasing an App

Adding a new app to your iPad requires that you visit the App Store. You do that, not surprisingly, with the App Store app on your Home screen.

Tap the App Store icon on your Home screen.

If this is the first time you have used the App Store, you see the featured apps at the top of the screen. Otherwise, tap the Featured button at the bottom.

Swipe left or right to view more featured apps. You can do the same for the sections below, which often change to feature different types of apps.

If you go to the bottom of the Featured page in the App Store, you will see a button marked Redeem. Use this to enter any redemption code you get for a free app. You may get a code because someone sends you an app as a gift. Developers also send out a handful of these codes when they release a new app or app version.

Automatically Download New Apps

If you go to the Settings app, look for the iTunes & App Store category. There you can turn on automatic downloads for apps, as well as music and books. Once you turn this on, purchasing an app on your Mac or PC in iTunes, or on another iOS device with the same Apple ID, will automatically send this app to your iPad as well.

The app’s page displays screenshots, other apps by the same company, and user reviews.

Tap on the price on the left under the large icon to purchase an app. It changes to a Buy App button. Tap it again. If you have already purchased the app, the button will say Open, and you can launch the app by tapping the button. If you have purchased the app in the past, but don’t currently have it on your iPad, you will see a cloud/download button that lets you download the app again. You do not pay again for an app you have already purchased.

When you purchase an app, it starts installing, and you can watch the progress from the app’s information page in the App Store app or from the location of the app’s icon on your Home screen.

Redownloading an App You Already Purchased

Once you buy an app, you own it forever—at least as long as you keep using the same Apple ID. At the bottom of the App Store app, you see a button marked Purchased. Tap that to see a list of all apps you have bought, even if you have removed them from this iPad, or maybe never even downloaded them in the first place. Perhaps you previously bought an app on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You can quickly jump to any of these apps and download them to your iPad without paying for it a second time.

>>>Go Further: Free, Paid, and Freemium

Some apps in the App Store are free, and others you need to pay for before downloading and installing. But some apps are free for the basic version, and then you need to make in-app purchases to use advanced functions or buy more content. These are called “freemium” apps.

It is up to the developer of the app to design the method of making purchases. Most apps show you a preview of the function or content and then include a purchase or buy button. Before any app can charge your iTunes account for an in-app purchase, you will see a standard Confirm Your In-App Purchase prompt.

Photo apps may use in-app purchases to charge you for additional filters or effects. Drawing apps may charge for new brushes or tools. Some free apps have advertising and allow you to make an in-app purchase to be able to use the app ad-free.

Often games will have a variety of items you can purchase to alter gameplay. But instead of a long list of in-app purchases, they simply charge you for in-game currency such as tokens, gems, or gold. Then you can use these to purchase items inside the game.

There’s no risk in trying free apps that offer in-app purchases. If you find that the purchases in the app are not worth it for you, simply do not purchase anything. If the app isn’t useful, you can delete it without spending a penny.